The Magic of Music
There’s a reason our go-to lullabies stand the test of time: The soothing melodies of “Hush Little Baby” or “Brahms' Lullaby,” sung by familiar voices, are an important (and lovely!) part of everyday routine.
New Moms and Dads will hum little songs to their tiny ones to calm them and parents of toddlers may find themselves singing day in and day out. Even if you consider yourself an inexperienced rookie in the parenting game, chances are you’ll bust out a lullaby at some point. It’s instinctual. But there’s an importance to music beyond “Twinkle, Twinkle,” and it’s not just about rocking your babe to sleep. It’s about their growth and development, too.
Studies have shown that classical music especially has a positive impact on a baby’s brain, but don’t think you’re limited to Mozart or Bach. Music is music, and anything with combinations of notes is going to lead to spatial, creative, emotional and language development. So how can you encourage your children in this area? Consider the different benefits of a musical education and the toys or tools that might help.
Teaching Self-Regulation and Transitions
Songs can be used to ease transitions for little ones, if you start to use the same music consistently in your baby’s routine. For example, maybe “You Are My Sunshine” is for diapering, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” means mealtime is coming, and “Rockabye Baby” signals sleep. Sticking to the same music pattern will help your child learn self-regulation just as maintaining a similar schedule in terms of time promotes easy transitions.
Learning Cause and Effect
Once they’re big enough to make “music” on their own—which essentially means the combining or movement of objects to make sounds—you should celebrate the strides they’re making and encourage them to be musicians in their own right.
Look for toys that can be banged on or together to make different noises. Try shakers, tambourines and bells to teach kids how their own actions have the potential to make beautiful sounds. An instrument like a xylophone, with a mallet applied to keys to make distinctive notes, shows range.
Building Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Music also goes hand in hand with coordination. You’ll often find your toddler bopping to the beat of a song on the radio—which is great for rhythm, balance and spatial awareness—or, after a few months of practicing songs with actions, you might notice your kiddo starts to mimic the associated hand gestures (think “Itsy Bitsy Spider”)—which will work the same muscles your child will use for writing and drawing. You might also have a little karaoke star on your hands; try her on a play microphone to develop the idea that she can hold an item and sing or dance at the same time.
There are so many musical toys at your fingertips and they all have their own specific benefits for your baby. You can’t go wrong. Just cue up the tunes whenever, wherever and however you can.